Is It Too Cliché To Say I Love You?
by sensatsu
Summary: They say one phone call can change everything...and it's true.
1. A Phone Call

Fandom: Death Note

Pairing: Mello/Near

Genre: Romance/Fluff

Rating: T

Warnings: Violence, shounen-ai, alternate universe

A line of black sedans sped down the highway, headed north for the nation's capital: Washington, D.C. Unbeknownst to the caravan, a red sports car began a steady pursuit. A few minutes passed before a large black helicopter appeared over the western horizon, flying directly toward the line of vehicles. It was a busy day–no escape was possible. The helicopter soared over the caravan, its metal body gleaming with the setting sun, and dropped a small explosive on its target. Suddenly, a flash of red zoomed in front of the leading car, the driver of the sedan hitting his brakes hard. All cars followed suit, and the bomb landed one car ahead of its original destination. A roaring was heard, and there was fire in the air. The unlucky recipient of the explosive was completely destroyed, and the car immediately behind it was flipped onto its roof by the side of the highway. Passing vehicles rolled to a stop, spectators jumping out to assess the damage and call for assistance. With the chain of events occurring so fast, no one noticed a red coupe sliding to a stop beside the overturned car. Not one bystander spotted a rather conspicuous redhead running to the vehicle and extracting a small bundle of white, dragging it back to the sporty read car. The vehicle drove off undetected.

* * *

The phone rang twice, and the blonde picked it up, scowling at the number on the screen. "Where the hell are you?" he asked angrily. His scowl deepened at the answer he received. "...What did you do? I swear, if it's another one of those...no? Well, I'll still probably kill you..." Suddenly, his expression turned to one of pain and shock. "W-What? Why? Well, when did that..?" He began pacing across the tiled floor, the heels of his tall leather boots clacking lightly on the ceramic. After listening to the last response, he paused, sinking to the floor and dropping his voice to an almost-whisper. "No...bring him here. Immediately." He hung up the phone, pulling his knees to his chest and hiding his face between them to hide his worry-stricken expression.

* * *

The thrum of the engine was a steady, quiet purr. The redhead picked up his cell phone and hit the correct speed dial. It rang twice before the other end picked up. He listened to the raving question before speaking. "Hey, Mells. You'll never guess who's lying unconscious in my passenger seat." He chuckled slightly at the response he received. "No, no, it's not a hooker...jeez. Let's just say it's the object of your obsession, and he's not made of chocolate." He paused, listening to the calm before the storm. "Near. Yes. Because I saved him from being blown into oblivion by a car bomb. The car ahead of him is scrap metal, but his just flipped on its top. He's still injured pretty badly, though...I'm probably going to take him to the hospital in Miami. He'll definitely need medical attention." He could hear the noise of his friend's pacing, and the soft 'thud' as he sat down heavily. "He nodded, and spoke low into the receiver. "Of course. I'll be there in thirty minutes, so be ready. And, Mello? It'll be alright, mate. Bye." Looking into the passenger seat, where the crumpled body of the world's next top detective lay covered in blood and filth, Matt wasn't so certain of the truth of his assessment.

As he had expected, it took just over half an hour–he'd never been an advocate for speed limits–to reach the city, and five more minutes to weave his way through the seedy industrial sector before coming to the warehouse which was currently being used as the official headquarters of Miami's mafia. _Home sweet home,_ he thought sarcastically. He didn't have to wait long: the door slid open in a matter of seconds, and he drove quickly inside. He got out of the car, running around the front to open the other door. Gently, as if handling a piece of priceless crystal, he lifted his burden out of the seat, being careful not to agitate any of the cuts along the thin body. Once again, he didn't spend much time waiting, and a few seconds later a door to his right slammed open, revealing Mellow in what was probably the second-worst state he'd ever seen him in.

_The first was the night they'd left the orphanage, after all bravado had fled into the darkness like so many shooting stars. That night was the first (and only) time he'd seen Mello cry. He had pretended to be sleeping, but he distinctly remembered the look of pain on his friend's face as he looked down at the stolen photograph of a small, unsmiling boy whose hair was whiter than snow._

He walked forward slowly, pausing halfway and attempting to meet the icy blue eyes of his best friend. But those eyes held nothing for Matt to see: they were blank, lifeless, and tired.

* * *

The blonde stared through Matt as though he could not see him, yet also avoided concentrating on the bloody mess in his friend's grasp. He stepped forward, reaching with arms that were barely obeying his command to stop shaking. "Give him to me," he said sternly but quietly. The redhead hesitated, but dared not disobey. The weight that descended into Mello's arms was at once startlingly light and shockingly heavy, if only on his heart. He turned and briskly walked back inside the headquarter's living area, making his way to his own personal section of the building.

Mello laid Near gently on the soft cot he'd arranged in the center of the brightly-lit washroom. He looked him over, trying to discern the extent of the damage done to his frail body. _It'll probably take him a week or more to heal completely, _Mello thought with a grim expression. _Near...you'd better not leave me behind here. I...can't lose you. _The blonde knelt beside his makeshift operating table and began to undress the smaller boy slowly, methodically, trying not to agitate the many wounds as best he could.

It took Mello almost three hours to remove the glass and other shrapnel from Near's wounds, wash and disinfect them, and apply bandages to some of the worst injuries. The bruises he couldn't do anything about, but he made sure to be especially gentle when he gathered Near up in his arms and made his way into his bedroom that was adjacent to the bathroom. Mello laid his "patient" on the bed, covering his bare form up to the chest with the soft black bedding; the material provided a sharp contrast against Near's ivory skin, making him look fragile, like a porcelain angel descended from the heavens to remind humanity of that ethereal beauty that only God's seraphic messengers possessed. _He's perfect...beautiful. _The blonde's face tinged a light pink at the thought, though he couldn't take his eyes off that pale, perfect face; the soft yet slender features; the long black lashes that brushed alabaster cheeks as the boy dreamt; the pale pink lips that were parted slightly in an unconsciously adorable expression. Mello realized that that was the reason Near was so perfect: he never had to think about it. Near didn't have to try to be beautiful. _He just is._

* * *

Matt had been waiting in the central part of HQ for more than five hours, fielding questions and playing his DS like there was no tomorrow. _Where is he? I'm tired of dealing with these things._ Finally, Matt stood, walking out of the central area and through the labyrinth so intelligently-created by the mafia to keep their "precious leader" concealed from those who would seek to harm him. Matt finally reached his friend's rooms and opened the door thoughtlessly. What he saw was enough to make him gasp and shut the door silently before opening it again for a second glance. _...Whoa._

He wasn't sure, but the redhead was thinking that Mello probably didn't know what he was doing, that he'd done it unconsciously. _Still_, the gamer thought, _this could make for some amusing blackmail...nah, I don't need the extra stress of sleeping with both eyes open. Heheh._ Instead, Matt stood there for a few minutes admiring the surprising but peaceful scene.

Near had turned onto his side during the night, lying in the center of the soft bed. Matt guessed that Mello had sat on the edge of the bed, but he had quite obviously fallen asleep during his watch over Near. The blonde now lay beneath the sheets of his bed, the floor beside it littered with the dark leather he usually wore. What was perhaps more incriminating was the position the two prodigies were currently in: Near was sleeping peacefully upon Mello's chest, his head nestled in the graceful curve of the blonde's neck. Mello's arms were, in turn, wrapped securely around the younger boy's waist, one hand resting on Near's unexposed hip and the other resting on his shoulder, a lock of the snow-white hair in his tender grasp.

The redhead turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him as he walked back to the main HQ, a smile on his face.

* * *

A/N: So...how does everyone like the new story? Worth a few reviews? When reviewing, let me know if you want more of this story (I also plan to upload another chapter of "Five Minutes til Midnight" soon). Until next time.


	2. Awakenings

Near woke slowly, like a person walking through cobwebs, and gradually reached a certain level of his typical awareness. He felt warmth around him, enveloping him in a gentle embrace. Snuggling closer to the comforting heat, he suddenly felt a hand in his hair, and the intense heat of bare skin upon his. _What is this…what has happened? _The white-haired boy's eyes widened and he tried to pull away from the individual who held him, resulting in him being pulled closer to the overwhelming heat. He took time to notice the scent of the skin before him…it was a definitively masculine smell, musky and alluring, with a hint of something sweet. After pondering his situation for awhile, he nuzzled closer to the other person and fell again into a deep sleep.

* * *

The blonde woke quickly from his nightmare, panting and clutching the soft and warm boy in his arms. _Wait…what?!_ He jumped slightly, eyes roaming over the smaller boy's features, trailing down to his hips, where the blankets now pooled, obstructing the rest of the view. Mello shifted slightly, thinking to get up and let Near sleep more peacefully, but was pleasantly surprised when the white-haired boy held onto him ever tighter. He smiled slightly, stroking gently down his spine, hand ghosting over a pale hip before pausing, not daring to continue in its exploration. _Why have I felt this way for so long? _the blonde mused. _Why do I feel this way...for Near?_ Mello laid his head atop Near's, inhaling the soft scent the boy had always possessed, which was now unfortunately mingled with the acrid odor of dried blood and the bitter smell of antiseptics.

* * *

When Near next awoke, it was to a mixed feeling of pain and comfort. He snuggled closer to the warmth that still surrounded him, feeling a stabbing pain in his abdomen as he did so. He gasped, flinching slightly and thereby waking the large bed's other occupant. Near's eyes widened when he came quite literally face to face with someone he had not expected to see ever again. The unmistakable golden hair; those blue eyes that were usually as hard as ice, but now looked like cool water; a smile that graced the angular (and rather attractive, if he was being honest) features of his one and only rival, the only person who had ever matched his intelligence in its entirety. _Mello._ Near was speechless. He could not fathom the intense emotions he currently felt, so different from his typically detached state of being. He sat up on the bed, ignoring the pain from his wounds, and stared at the blonde, mouth open in a tiny "o" as if he wished to speak, but could not find the words to adequately express himself.

* * *

Mello was amused, and perplexed, by Near's expression. The white-haired boy appeared to be in shock, but that was to be expected, right? It had been his firm belief that after Mello and Matt had left Wammy's all those years ago, he would never encounter them again. So it stood to reason that he would be a bit surprised to wake up in the same room, in the same bed, as Mello...and without a single bit of clothing. It was at this moment that the blonde realized his own state of undress, and that epiphany brought a rather embarrassing shade of red to his otherwise fair features. He pulled the sheet further toward himself in an attempt to cover as much as possible, which resulted in his uncovering Near, who promptly squeaked and scrambled for cover, almost falling from the bed. Modesty forgotten, Mello reached out and grabbed hold of him before he could tumble to the floor. "Be careful," he said quietly, averting his gaze and holding out an extra blanket to Near so he could cover up. "I worked hard on your wounds, and I won't have you ruining my work by being careless." He didn't mention the fact that as he had watched Near start to fall, he felt a tightening in his chest like someone had an icy grip on his heart. He knew well now something he had only discovered yesterday after a phone call. _I can let no harm come to him..._

_...he's mine._

* * *

The two geniuses emerged into the main headquarters long after dusk had settled over the Miami skyline. They had spent the afternoon discussing the past, and what each had been doing after their school years: Near's cases as a detective, and Mello's business as a Mafia leader were thoroughly pored over with intense interest from both parties. A topic not discussed was their apparent closeness during the previous night; both feared to talk about the matter, but also wanted to unravel the reasoning behind it without fear of rejection or ridicule. So it was that when Mello and Near walked into the room, Matt threw down his DS and stood up from the couch, a glare upon his face. "Bloody hell!" the redhead exclaimed. "It's about time you two showed up. I've been up to my neck in the business of Miami's underworld, got killed eight times on Super Mario Bros., and all the while you are busy laying around stark naked and cuddling! Do you even know how many cartons of cigs and Red Bull I've gone through in the past twenty-four hours?! Quite a few, I can tell you!" Matt abruptly ceased his ranting, gave one last huff of breath that sounded like it contained a rather nasty expletive, and passed out on the sofa.

Mello looked at Near, who had turned red enough to rival a ripe tomato, and shrugged. Leaning down and hoisting Matt up onto his shoulders, Mello turned to the white-haired detective and gave a fleeting smile. "Come on, we should get out of here while no one's around...we have a flat in the downtown area, so we'll go there." Near simply nodded and followed behind the blonde, twirling his hair between his fingers and occasionally pulling a strand down to his nose to inhale the slightly sweet scent that was uniquely Mello. The youngest genius smiled, settling back into the passenger seat of a red coupe and reveling in the moment.

* * *

A/N: Okay, this chapter isn't technically as long as the last, but I'm still rather pleased with it. In case anyone has been reading this without knowledge of my typical format, here's a key: text in quotations "like this" represents speech of the character(s). Text in italics _like this _represents the thoughts of the character(s).

Where is Matt? Well...He's in the back seat in a Red Bull-induced coma, of course. He'll be alright after he sleeps it off. XD

Is everyone happy with the story thus far? If people will review, I'll definitely continue onward with this cute little fluffball of a Mello/Near tale. Seriously...please review. -Makes the most pitiful expression possible for a human being.-

Oh, and to the reviewer who mentioned me "getting off on torturing Near"...uh, nope (sadomasochism is NOT my cup of tea. Ooh, tea...). Near is the only character in the series that nothing horrendous happens to (unless you count being an orphan). So, he's had enough good luck in canon to allow for plenty of awfulness in fanfic. Or, that's my point of view. XD


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